"Bachelor Blues"

Hey, hey!  I'm back and this time I've got another fun project to share with you.  Believe it or not, until this year, I hadn't had the pleasure of working on a bachelor pad before.  As girly as I am, I actually have been dying to work on a handsome manly space for some time.  Needless to say when I was approached by my client, a referral from a past client, I couldn't have been more excited to get started.

The project was to FINALLY create a finished and homie space in the house he'd been in for seven years.  I'll be honest, I could hardly believe that in that length of time he'd managed to do next to nothing to make it a bit more lived in.  We decided to tackle the first floor, including the living room, the formal dining room and sprucing up the eat-in kitchen.

Let's begin with the dining room.  As a single guy, having a space for formal dining didn't really make sense.  After tossing around a few ideas we decided to make the room near the entrance of the home more of a lounge/library/office area.  It would be a space where he could chill, read or get a little work done.

The room had lovely picture molding but in order to keep things from looking too much like a dining space we opted to paint out the molding the same rich navy we selected for the walls. 

Sherwin Williams

Navy blue became the link between all three spaces and created the cozy and handsome look we were going for.

We anchored the lounge space with a somewhat traditional rug and added rich gold accents, wood tones and masculine touches like this leather strapped ottoman. 

Howard Elliott Strapped Ottoman

The Pottery Barn armless sofa was the perfect scale for the space.  It was actually a sectional piece that we found deeply discounted and it's PERFECT!  Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when shopping for furniture.  Often with a little ingenuity you can make many castoffs work famously.

Isn't this just the perfect spot for a cup of coffee?

The Sherwin-Williams Naval paint color is certainly a showstopper.  It totally transformed the space and while it does eat up a lot of light, it makes the space so much warmer and cozier.  I'm actually considering it for my kitchen. 

In the living space we essentially began at ground zero.  While it was functional, it had absolutely no life.  

We pulled together a plan that included a Bassett Furniture sofa chaise, color blocked drapes and these cool nesting tables from Hammary Furniture.

Hammary Furniture 

While we weren't sure what the console selection would be, I knew we needed something masculine and organic.  When I stumbled upon this beautiful Hooker Furniture piece, I knew it was perfect.

Hooker Furniture - Transcend Entertainment Console

We decided to hold off on painting this space for now and had to work with the existing wall color.  I think the fact that we kept the builder beige give you a chance to see how much impact furniture and decor can have on a space.  Take a look...

I love the custom England Furniture chairs.  They were so streamlined and fresh...not to mention comfy.

In the kitchen area, a simple rug, new lighting and drapes did the trick to spruce things up on a budget.

Photos by: Cam Richards Photography

Couldn't be more pleased with this one.  The client says he's had a parade of people through the house that LOVE the result.  Here's hoping it turns into more bachelor projects.  : )

Color Inspiration: Navy and Coral

I hit the pavement this weekend heading to yard sales and estate sales.  Fun! Scored some great deals.  If you follow me on Instagram, you've likely seen several of them, if not I'll be sharing the a little later.  Today, I'm gathering inspiration for one of the projects I'm about to begin. 

I've found that getting started and the actual installation are the most nerve racking parts of the design process.  I think the issue with getting started is the fact that there are SO many options.  I like to start by perusing Houzz for inspiration.  My last project....

 

 

Was actually inspired by this one....

 

 

 Contemporary Spaces by Melbourne Interior Designers & Decorators Camilla Molders

 

Some times it's the smallest thing that get my wheels turning and in this case it was the green,white and black color combo and the sofa fabric.  Now I'm back at it again and I'm really feeling navy and coral. 

Transitional Living Room by Washington Interior Designers & Decorators Zoe Feldman Design, Inc.

 

 

Traditional Living Room by Santa Ana Interior Designers & Decorators Darci Goodman Design

I'm sure it doesn't hurt that the two are complements but I love the rich navy with the vivid orangy hue. 

Mediterranean Bedroom by Dallas Interior Designers & Decorators Astleford Interiors, Inc.

 

I'm also liking the idea of a navy sofa.  The color is dark, which is great for families with young kids, but not nearly as harsh as black. 

Society Social

Anyway,  just starting to collect my thoughts.  I can't wait to show you what I come up with.  Stay tuned and Happy Monday! 

"Client Project: Bold Color"

I was extremely excited to get the go-ahead on my latest client project and to get this family room makeover underway.  The space is totally a blank slate and it happens to be huge with lots of light.  We won't be painting in this project so I knew immediately that I was going to have to go bolder than usual.  With the budget in mind, I began the design concept for this space in an unlikely place, at the bottom.  I decided to try to knock out one of the more expensive elements first.  I scored this GREAT rug at an amazing price and that's where it all began.

 

 

 

With the rug as the driving force behind the design, I searched for some inspiration for color pairing  in the space.  It's amazing what you can turn up if you really look with a fresh eye. 



 

 

 I feel in love with the navy, chartreuse and purplish violet color. The addition of a couple of fun prints and a punch of color....

 

 

...yielded this moodboard.  

 

The client loved it and we are well on our way to turning this moodboard into a reality.  So excited!
Have a great weekend!

"Goodwill Guest Post: Volume 2"

I'm so excited to be featured again on Goodwill's blog today. 

If you follow me on any social media outlet, you know my love for Goodwill.  They've become a staple in so many of my projects that I thought I'd share a little more about how I use them as a go-to for cool accessories.  So, scoot on over to read more about my Nautical Boy's Room project and to show your support.  Simply click HERE and while you're there don't forget to leave us a comment. 

Special thanks to Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont once again. 

"Project Reveal: Navy Nautical Boy's Room"

Needless to say, my favorite blogs to write are those in which I get to reveal my latest client projects.  I'm sure you recall the Navy nautical room that I blogged about here.

 

With this project I was hoping to achieve a nautical vibe without coming off too "themed". 

 

 

I'm pleased to report that on this past weekend, I received a literal thumbs up from the room's resident and that always makes the work worth it. 

 

The room was virtually a blank slate.  I took the before pictures on the day of the install when the room had been cleared out.  We opted for a better space plan that actually made the room feel larger.  Tip:  Avoid placing all of the furniture on the perimeter walls.  Doing so creates a huge void in the center of the room.

 

BEFORE

 

 

AFTER 

I'm always amazed at how the simple things make such a HUGE difference, like drapes.  Take these simple navy blue panels away and the room immediately looks unfinished. 

 

BEFORE

 

 

 

AFTER

I used a number of budget friendly accessories in this project which I plan to discuss on my next Goodwill guest blogger post, so stay tuned.

More AFTERS.....

Just an FYI, this room happens to be connected to this one (my first boy's room).  I have a new found respect for the challenges that decorating for boys creates.

All in all, I'm really pleased with the results.  What do you think?  I'm dying to know.....
Please leave me a comment with your feedback.  It's always welcome. 
Simply click the words Click Here to Join the Conversation just below this post. Need help? Read this.

P.S. Thanks so much for your comments yesterday.  Looks like the white chair it is.